D&D General Weis, Hickman, and Manganiello update on Dragonlance world book

[JDazzle]

I find games based on EPIC stories never seem to fit well. Roleplaying is better at Sword and Sorcery. So Star Wars is an epic fantasy whereas Firefly is not though it tries to be at the end.

I never cared about DL as a setting or LOTR because they are EPIC fantasies.

I have a similar thought, but I'm kind of like HOW can you play in those worlds? Is it possible to have a rpg game/session that recreates the moments in those stories, either directly or similarly?

This is why I struggle with The One Ring TTRPG... I absolutely LOVE the books, both the novels and the sourcebooks, but I struggle with finding an appropriate story with good antagonists that just make sense!

And if there is a story idea, it's kinda bland and generic and could fit in any settings, but if you go up against the big evils, it alters or diminishes the conflict of the main characters in the novels

 

[Emerikol]

I have a similar thought, but I'm kind of like HOW can you play in those worlds? Is it possible to have a rpg game/session that recreates the moments in those stories, either directly or similarly?

This is why I struggle with The One Ring TTRPG... I absolutely LOVE the books, both the novels and the sourcebooks, but I struggle with finding an appropriate story with good antagonists that just make sense!

And if there is a story idea, it's kinda bland and generic and could fit in any settings, but if you go up against the big evils, it alters or diminishes the conflict of the main characters in the novels

Yes that is the issue. I love LOTR with a passion. I've read it twice. As a literary work it is above most others. That doesn't make the setting a great campaign setting.

I suppose you could go back a hundred years before Frodo and live in the tension of the 3rd age. But your sword and sorcery adventures are not out epic.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Is Cam in that group?

No he's not. Nor is anyone who worked on the 3.5 Dragonlance books, unfortunately.

I imagine WotC is going to use their own people to make this happen.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I have a similar thought, but I'm kind of like HOW can you play in those worlds? Is it possible to have a rpg game/session that recreates the moments in those stories, either directly or similarly?

This is why I struggle with The One Ring TTRPG... I absolutely LOVE the books, both the novels and the sourcebooks, but I struggle with finding an appropriate story with good antagonists that just make sense!

And if there is a story idea, it's kinda bland and generic and could fit in any settings, but if you go up against the big evils, it alters or diminishes the conflict of the main characters in the novels

Some of my most stressful, difficult campaigns to run were the ones where I had clear story tones and beats established by existing media (Star Wars and Robotech, for example). Like, it's one thing to run a generic space opera game, another for it to feel like it exists in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

 

[Emerikol]

Some of my most stressful, difficult campaigns to run were the ones where I had clear story tones and beats established by existing media (Star Wars and Robotech, for example). Like, it's one thing to run a generic space opera game, another for it to feel like it exists in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

When it's a known world beyond the DM, players will object to "breaking canon" or various other things even though it might just be a difference of opinion on that canon. I had issues running a Roman world campaign. From then on I've only ever ran my own campaign world. I'm a worldbuilder at heart so that is not great sacrifice.

 

[GreyLord]

They should do a new setting contest like Eberron. And maybe not award it to an employee this time though.

This is why I've never really been an Eberron fan. After all the hoopla they put out, they basically did a nepotistic move (he wasn't really an employee if I recall, but he was known) move in that. It should have had a backlash of upset and angry fans, instead it did not.

It was one of the most blatant nepotistic (he may not have been a blood relative, but was basically it their family of the organization at that point already) things I've seen outside of the early days with the Blume brothers and occasionally the Gygax's.

I suppose. the more things go to new companies, the more things stayed the same...though.

 

[Dire Bare]

They should do a new setting contest like Eberron. And maybe not award it to an employee this time though.

This is why I've never really been an Eberron fan. After all the hoopla they put out, they basically did a nepotistic move (he wasn't really an employee if I recall, but he was known) move in that. It should have had a backlash of upset and angry fans, instead it did not.

It was one of the most blatant nepotistic (he may not have been a blood relative, but was basically it their family of the organization at that point already) things I've seen outside of the early days with the Blume brothers and occasionally the Gygax's.

I suppose. the more things go to new companies, the more things stayed the same...though.

Those are some hot takes right there. Wow.

 

[GreyLord]

Those are some hot takes right there. Wow.

He was working freelance at the time, and working for various RPG companies. Little known, but WotC was actually one of them from what I've heard, though he had far more work via other places.

WotC also defined what they were looking for, and Ebberon basically does not fill out what they defined as one of the criteria...which makes on go...hmmm....

It was great for him to get it (as he was freelance, not an employee, and struggling at that), but that was totally not a legit...even handed...fair way to do it.

Hot take, maybe. There's a reason most contests disqualify (or have it in their rules, a few companies still break those rules at times, the difference is that they then are eventually sued in court by unhappy norms who truly are disconnected from that company when inspired by lawyers for an easy money take...for the lawyers) employees (which also normally includes freelancers if they are in that same industry), family members, and certain friends of employees or family.

Anyways, it's off topic, but I've always felt that burn about that, since they obviously didn't follow the normal rules which most companies follow in these things. Ironically, unlike when Mcdonalds did the same thing with Monopoly, or another company did a similar thing with a freelancer (that company went bankrupt from the lawsuit), fans didn't get upset about Baker's obvious connections with the RPG industry.

They came in with full support...so...meh. Water under the bridge, but I still don't really like the setting due to how it was handled..

However, the irony that we see in this thread with a few saying WotC should do new settings...WotC has done new settings (maybe not new...per se...but new to D&D or at least 5e).

They've done 5 or 6 MtG settings (several of them available for free) for 5e D&D. They've done smaller ideas such as Radiant Citadel...

They've probably had more "new" settings in that way, than the older ones!

They also have the Worlds that are coming which are other worlds that are not traditional D&D worlds (though some may have been utilized with 3e or D20 in the past) such as World of Warcraft and Star Wars (with more to come after, or so it is indicated. I expect it will depend on how successful these are, but I expect they will be very successful).

So, I'd say WotC is actually pushing a LOT of new campaign settings beyond the "traditional ones." The thing is, the traditional ones seem to sell very well, when some of the other newer ones are having trouble even being given away for free!!!

 

[Dire Bare]

He was working freelance at the time, and working for various RPG companies. Little known, but WotC was actually one of them, though he had more work via other places.

WotC also defined what they were looking for, and Ebberon basically does not fill out what they defined as one of the criteria...which makes on go...hmmm....

It was great for him to get it (as he was freelance, not an employee, and struggling at that), but that was totally not a legit...even handed...fair way to do it.

Hot take, maybe. There's a reason most contests disqualify (or have it in their rules, a few companies still break those rules at times, the difference is that they then are eventually sued in court by unhappy norms who truly are disconnected from that company when inspired by lawyers for an easy money take...for the lawyers) employees (which also normally includes freelancers if they are in that same industry), family members, and certain friends of employees or family.

Anyways, it's off topic, but I've always felt that burn about that, since they obviously didn't follow the normal rules which most companies follow in these things. Ironically, unlike when Mcdonalds did the same thing with Monopoly, or another company did a similar thing with a freelancer (that company went bankrupt from the lawsuit), fans didn't get upset about Baker's obvious connections with the RPG industry.

They came in with full support...so...meh. Water under the bridge, but I still don't really like the setting due to how it was handled..

However, the irony that we see in this thread with a few saying WotC should do new settings...WotC has done new settings (maybe not new...per se...but new to D&D or at least 5e).

They've done 5 or 6 MtG settings (several of them available for free) for 5e D&D. They've done smaller ideas such as Radiant Citadel...

They've probably had more "new" settings in that way, than the older ones!

They also have the Worlds that are coming which are other worlds that are not traditional D&D worlds (though some may have been utilized with 3e or D20 in the past) such as World of Warcraft and Star Wars (with more to come after, or so it is indicated. I expect it will depend on how successful these are, but I expect they will be very successful).

So, I'd say WotC is actually pushing a LOT of new campaign settings beyond the "traditional ones." The thing is, the traditional ones seem to sell very well, when some of the other newer ones are having trouble even being given away for free!!!

Nepotism. Okay. A freelancer.

All I can say is wow, that's a hot take.

 

[KYRON45]

Nepotism. Okay. A freelancer.

All I can say is wow, that's a hot take.

Guess that depends on how you define hot take.